wanderer-rrorc
Explorer
Great start to a build!!! cant wait to see more!
Lucinda Build
- Thread starter chiliVANilli
- Start date
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
Amazingly the crossmember bolted to the engine using early model 350 motor mounts. The van did originally have a small V8 according to the VIN. My friend is a mechanic and his shop is at the other end of our building, so I got to use his lift to put the engine in. The best option to get the engine was from underneath, but I have seen guys cut the doghouse off and go through the van, but we just dropped the front axle, and dropped the van over the engine. It went in pretty easy even though it was a tight fit. The only issue was the alternator bracket was hitting the side of the doghouse, so I would have to modify to fit. Other than that it bolted in like it was supposed to be there.
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
Was a lot more work than I had time for to cut and fix the doghouse to make the alternator fit. And it turned out like a total hack job. It had to be that close because the seat needs to fit, and there is really no room. I'll probably do something to make it better, but I'm not too worried right now because the seat will hide it.
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
After a bunch of searching, I finally found a radiator that will fit and hopefully keep the engine cool way back under the van. It has 3 rows with the transmission cooler. Of course, once again, the doghouse had to modified so I can get the cap off and fill it.
Petrolburner
Explorer
That is one cool platform to start with. Great job thus far.
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
To get the front axle from the Suburban under the van I had to move the spring perches out 5 3/8" wider than they were. I ordered new ones that gave me an inch of adjustment forward or back from center. I figured I might need some play for clearance and getting the axle just where I want it. I figured I'd keep the pinion angle the same, for alignment and keeping things as stock as possible. Seems fine.
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
I made some custom springs for the front using a set of Skyjacker 6" lift spring for Chevy trucks and the main spring from the van. I used the main spring from the van because it had the center pin already in the center of the wheel well. The original springs from the van are totally funky. 3" wide at the hangers and 2 1/2" wide at the u-bolts.
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
The axle is centered and I like the new stance, but I ended up making shackles to gain one more inch of lift because I will be adding a plate bumper and winch to the front. And of course I had to some some forklift flex testing just because. Still have to do some trimming, but at least we're centered and at a good height.
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
I had to do move the perches on the rear axle also. Pretty close to drums, and more motivation for disc conversion some day.
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
The steering box on the van is located between the framerail and didn't come with power steering. I looked at putting a different steering box, but there wasn't room, and I didn't want to have a bunch of u-joints, plus there is only 8" from the steering wheel shaft to the front wall, which is the front sheetmetal of the van. So I kept the original push-pull box. I mated the two arms together.
naterry
13 Cheeseburgers
You mentioned "hopefully" so I'll add my .02:
Some simple ducting will go a long way in getting flow across that radiator configuration. Note that the engine compartment will be very low pressure, like an eddy behind a rock in a river. You might want to consider adding a deflecting plate under the radiator (scooping air up in front), and then an equally important "undertray" under the front half of the motor to create the pressure differential required to make a "radiator behind a rock" work. I'm not saying you will absolutely need it, maybe I'm just scarred from fighting thermal issues in track cars for the last decade.
P.S. Boxing in the top and sides of the radiator would be frosting on the cool motor cake, but this is a van of course.
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
There is a large channel or tunnel going from the grill directly to the radiator, and I also have the original louvered plate/ scoop that directs the air from the front of the van to the radiator as well. I am also going to build a shroud on the radiator as well. And the van sits pretty high,so I feel like it gets pretty good airflow underneath. I'm with you, I don't want to take any chances on cooling. So far she stays right around 190*, but it's usually not too hot up here at 6500 ft. Thanks for the concern and advice!
chiliVANilli
Adventurer
I decided to use as much of the cross member from the Suburban as I could for a couple of reasons. I figured it would be a good place to start with the mounting brackets already in place, lined up, and engineered. It was pretty easy to build off of. I just had to bend up some plates to weld to the frame and make matching plates for the rectangle tube steel I used for the rest of the cross member. Simple and should be pretty stout. I also liked the skid plate that came with the stock one,it's small, but I saved time and $ then. I might end up making a bigger skid plate later on, but that one will do for now.